3 days in Belgium
 

Will be spending 3 days in Belgium on way to Switzerland-- have heard mention of
Brussels, Ghent and Bruge--looking for towns to walk around, sights to see,(not into hiking that much) as we have never been to this country and don't want to miss the best of Belgium..would like to stay in one town and then do day trips --am I missing any other Belgium cities that would be better to see..any suggestions on how to do these 3 days Thank

For 3 days those are great - base in one like dreamy Bruges and day trip to the others by train - might arrive in Brussels -check it out and go the same day onto Bruges - the favorite of most foreign tourists base there and day trip to Gent.

Belgian trains are fantastic - 2 or more an hour everywhere you're going. Check http://www.belgianrail.be/en/Default.aspx for special day passes - but you need not book in advance - no reservations possible even except on Thalys trains which you will not be taking - other sites for Belgian rail info: www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

How are you going to Switzerland - longish train ride via Paris so flying would be better - if by train check www.voyages-sncf.com for discounted tickets and online on your own booking.

Yes. Gent would be my rec for a base and a day trip to Brugge us well worth it.
I'd go on third day to Mons often overlooked but imo a jewel.
Of course I spent 4 years studying there so may be biased but you'll have another atmosphere (young lots of students few tourists and frenchspeaking) and the town has been embellished a few years ago when it was the capital city if the culture.

Other suggestions.
Eat a waterzooi in gent.
Drink beer everywhere.
Have a côtelette a l'berdouille in Mons.
Eat chocolates
See at least la grand place on Bruxelles 5 min on foot from central station where most trains will stop.
Plus sablon and galeries royales.

I would prioritise Brussels, Ghent, Bruges, but two other cities that are good to see are Antwerp (and some would probably pick Antwerp over Brussels), all in Flanders, and in Wallonia, Dinant. Other interesting or picturesque towns in Flanders are Leuven and Ieper (especially good if you are into WWI history).

I would not base in Bruges myself as it's the furthest away from that central transport node of Brussels, right at the westernmost corner of Belgium. Ghent geographically makes a good base between Antwerp, Bruges and Brussels, as it's quite central, but has the annoying feature that the main station is half an hour from the town, although only 15 mins by tram - if you can live with that, it is well-placed. If it is a bother, stay close to the station. You also have the consideration if you want quieter Bruges or livelier Ghent. Or Brussels has frequent trains to all of the cities I mention (main rail hub) and would be better if you are contemplating visiting Dinant.

You will find your time filled amply by Brussels, Ghent and Bruges. Three days is quite good. There are many fans of Bruges here on this forum and if you request it you will probably get a lot of recommendations regarding those three destinations.

Lavandula

I'd go on third day to Mons often overlooked but imo a jewel.
Of course I spent 4 years studying there

Hi Whathello, I hear there is an excellent school for interpreters in Mons - is that the case? Did you have anything to do with that?

Lavandula

So basing in Ghent makes great sense if I want to see Brussel/Antwerp and Bruges

what is the consensus between Antwerp and Brussels....is one overall more "Belgiumy" than the other....if I could chose only one for the most beautiful and more to see which would it be--enjoy just wandering around towns and seeing the sites..??

It looks like the 10 ticket pass for 77E is probably the best bet to do trains to the above mentioned towns for the 2 of us not being over 65 or under 30 ..

If I leave Paris coming into Belgium which is the closest/best Belgium town that I can come into in order to use the above 10 ticket passes to continue on into Ghent?

This has often been a hot topic on Fodor's ... Antwerp is a lively, beautiful city which has Flemish architecture ... but not more 'Belgiumy', as you put it. Brussels has more of a big city feel (it has the whole European Quarter, which you would only see if you went out of your way to do so) and it is less compact than Antwerp. However, it has a good metro and tram system so if you want to get around the city it is not hard. You can certainly see a core of attractions in the centre of town without walking too far. However, there are certain attractions in Brussels that are absolute must sees - IMO the Grand' Place - one of the world's most beautiful squares, which is also quite Flemish-looking - and for me, the Art Nouveau Horta House which is in St Gilles. And large parts of Brussels are Art Nouveau. There are walks you can do that take in some of the best examples. More suggestions here if you want.

Antwerp for me is more about a vibe - there is a beautiful walk from the station (which itself is an Art Nouveau gem) along De Keyserlei (less beautiful) and into the Meir (picturesque), through the shopping district, which comes out at Groenplaats and the Cathedral of Our Lady (art by Rubens). Lots of good places to sample jenever gin, the local tipple.

Lavandula

Agree with Lavandula - and I live near Antwerp!

To add to this, Antwerpen has some good recent modern architecture, if this is of interest to you. And of course the Art Deco district, which is a little outside of the center of town. There's also the fashion angle, with a fashion museum and good shopping. It's an easy city to see on foot.

Antwerpen is a great city. And yes they did integrate modern into old architecture.

I don't understand what Belgiumy would mean but if you want to feel like a Belgian then start using the correct spellings.

Bruxelles Gent Antwerpen etc.
Fir the pronunciation I'll pass ;-)

One of the closest train stations to Paris is Mons.
There used to be a few Thalys stopping there but this service has been temporarily (?) discontinued. Maybe there are some back.

Lavandula the school you refer to is EI. Ecole d'interprétariat.
That is where half of the beautiful girls went to in my time. The other half to the nursing school.

I attended a business school. That explains my bad accent !

One of the closest train stations to Paris is Mons.>

but it has no trains to Paris? Not direct you must go first to Lille or Brussels to catch Paris trains.

On an English-language forum use English versions of words - like Munich and not Munchen.

I thought Mons was "Bergen"?

On an English-language forum use English versions of words - like Munich and not Munchen.

Depends if you are polite or want to show respect to the lcoal culture. So if you tip, you tip in Brussels, if you don't tip, you are in Bruxelles. ehe.

Mons means 'Mont' that comes from Montagne (bigger than a mont) meaning mountain. So Mons is more like a hill.

Bergen means hills in flemish. We like to make it easy...
We even translate from outside Belgium : Lille is Rijsel... go figure. Would be a good stop too btw.

<Depends if you are polite or want to show respect to the lcoal culture.>

Many do not even know local spellings - like The Hague we are supposed to know S'gravenhage or is it Den Hague?

What local spelling do we use for Bruxelles/Brussels?

On an American forum paronized by mainly Americans I use American words- like Bruges not Brugge. To do so for me would be putting on airs.

Den Haag. Bruxelles or brussel.
You don't know it beforehand but you know it once there or if you read local's posts.
A pity you behave like trump here. You are better than that : I am American so I behave like an American since we outnumber the rest.
Down to I have a bigger than yours so I am right.
Why not.
Not hope to evolve ? Yet 40 years ago it was n1ggers (became an insult now - things do change for good) in the back whites in the front. It changed. It just takes the will to change.

Your parallels are complete nonsense. I use American terms because this is an American site - if it were a Belgian one I'd use Flemish or French place names - nothing wrong with using local spellings but do not admonish Americans for using American words on a largely American site?

And no American would even use the N word like you did above and that word 40 years ago was just as perjorative as it is now (except blacks who often call their buds that!)

Really equating the N word use with using Bruges instead of Brugge - small countries often produce small people with large inferiority complexes.

Should we entitle "Planning Trip to Belgique or Belge with umlah over last e" and use those terms in posts? Which one should we use or use both?

For Switzerland should we say "Planning a trip to Schweiz, Suisse or Svizzera" or all of them???

When in Rome-- when on a American thread do as Americans do -use the word Chunnel trains instead of Eurostar trains for example.

It's fine with me for Europeans to use the most familiar word but don't demand I do it.

OP asked ti be 'Belgiumy' and do you call people Michael because it is the american way to do it when their parents called tehm Michel ?

Things change. That was my parallel. It is stupid to give another name to somebody (something) that already has a name.

Society adapts. So why not american owned forums ? 'Cos americans can't change ?

Whathello is your ultimate hypocrisy - why use that and not :Quoibonjour?

Practice what you preach!

Ah...

anyway you are one of my favorite Fodorgarchs so don't take this for any more than a friendly discussion Quoisbonjour!

Whathello is similar to the Francophone pronunciation for 'Waterloo' :) - is that it?

Lavandula

Yes PQ
How to say ?
I may have been carried away and you could have a point that actually my parallelism would not be so tight fitting.
It would be a very unusual situation for me to say things that are not fully well thought .. so I hope you'll pardon me.
Of course I am right it is only the formulation that can be elaborated.
Erm.
Can't even say I was drunk I found a good Gigondad 2003. So I Poured a generous glass to a friend who ate with us and my wife claimed a glass or two too. (No the dog didn't drink).

Yes Lavandulla. That is the reason for the name.
Woinparis was from the same vein.
Close to Waterloo is the town of Ohain (victor Hugo created the myth of the chemin creux d ohain (small path under ground level) in which a third of the French cavalry would have fallen.
Ohain is pronounced like Woin just slower.

You seem to have a good grasp of languages.